Among the oldest addresses on Keizersgracht, the building that houses The Dylan Amsterdam began its life in 1613 as a theatre — one of the first in the Dutch Republic — before successive incarnations as a Catholic almshouse and a series of merchant canal houses stitched together over three centuries. That layered history is exactly what makes the property so compelling: Anouschka Hempel's 1999 conversion preserved the accumulated fabric rather than erasing it, threading a spare, East-meets-West aesthetic through interiors that still carry the grain and weight of seventeenth-century Amsterdam. The 40 rooms are distributed across a complex that opens onto a private courtyard garden, the canal facade presenting the modest, well-proportioned classical gatehouse visible in the images — wrought-iron grilles, carved keystones, plane trees softening the white-painted stone. Inside, Hempel's signature tension between austerity and richness plays out across materials: lacquered black ceiling beams left heavy against white plaster, a bar clad in marquina marble with pendant brass lighting arranged in a long procession above original brick floors, and guest rooms where fluted ebonised joinery and low platform beds pull against the intimacy of steel-paned windows looking onto the canal. A subsequent refresh introduced warmer, more conventionally Continental suites alongside Hempel's darker original rooms, and the restaurant's exposed brick fireplace wall anchors a dining room that feels genuinely rooted in its building rather than decorated over it.

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Discover The Dylan, Amsterdam’s best kept secret. An independent luxury boutique hotel and member of The Leading Hotels of The World. Located in a historical building, once the first theater of Amsterdam where the painter Rembrandt worked as a production assistant. Situated on the prestigious Keizersgracht canal in the heart of the trendy 9-streets shopping area. Every room is refined and distinctly unique, just like the hotel’s guests. Rooms are available in four different styles and combine historical features with contemporary design. The Dylan is known for its excellent culinary offerings: 2 Michelin Star awarded Restaurant Vinkeles, informal Bar Brasserie OCCO that is famous for its “High Wine”, a fun take on High Tea and até, Amsterdam's smallest fine dining restaurant serving just 6 guests each night. The secluded garden, with quintessential Dutch architecture, is a true hidden gem in the center of Amsterdam. All principal museums are walking distance from the hotel.